Find Out Why This Overlooked South American City Is Now a Top Design Destination

Dotted with colonial architecture, verdant parks, native cuisines, and hip neighborhoods, like the leafy indie-flavored Lastarría, the sprawling city of Santiago offers plenty of welcome diversions. Add to that its burgeoning independent-business scene—full of boho wine bars, well-curated design stores, first-rate restaurants, fashionable clothing boutiques—and the metropolis, just a short drive from both the Pacific Ocean and rolling vineyards, is fast becoming a world-class destination for aesthetes with a taste for first-finds and a good deal.

Shop

Design studio Bravo! sells an array of bowls, chairs, and tables made with native lenga wood.

Photo: Courtesy of Bravo!

In-the-know women drop by the hip Mo storefront or Karyn Coo’s airy, minimalist boutiques, an homage to chic dresses. Of course, dapper gents shop native designer Carlos Perez’s atelier in Lastarria or find bespoke threads at Calabrese. Top off any new wardrobe with Panama hats at Donde Golpea. For rare, little-known wines, drop by Vinomio or the aptly titled Santiago Wine Club. For photography, peruse Close Up Chile and for furniture, the design studio Bravo! has a showroom with bowls, chairs, and tables made with native lenga wood. There are also ample LP stores—both El Cid Campeador and Needle Vinilos have rare Chilean and Latin records. For alpaca wool, ponchos, and colorful handmade wares, the arts and crafts market Feria Artesanal Santa Lucia has you covered.

Do

The Museo de Arte Visuales. Photo: Courtesy of MAVI

Culture aficionados drop by the small, accessible Museo de Artes Visuales for contemporary exhibits, and afterward visit the striking, copper-encased Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center with rotating art, concerts and a bustling café. Peek into renowned literary figure Pablo Neruda’s former house, La Chascona​, whose dining room is modeled after a ship’s cabin. Channel movie magic inside El Biógrafo Cinema, with a lineup of indie films. Stretch your legs along the surprisingly lush Parque Metropolitano, with its ample walking trails and a statue of Virgin Mary perched atop Cerro San Cristóbal granting sweeping views of the city (you can also hop aboard an old funicular). Still feeling adventurous? Head over to the Bellavista neighborhood, strolling Constitución Street, where the hip bars dovetail with street art.

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